


To Hear a Bird Sing

by AliNear



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Ben is a Good Brother, Ben's just trying to be a good bro, Deaf Character, Deaf Klaus, Hurt Klaus Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves Needs Help, Klaus Hargreeves Whump, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2020-05-13 08:02:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19247110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliNear/pseuds/AliNear
Summary: Five succeeded in turning back the clock. Now 13 again, they are trying to be a family, this time for real. But, well, someone should really realize that Vanya wasn't the only sibling they had abandoned. They came back to fix their mistakes... all of their mistakes.





	1. Chapter 1

_“Be the distraction.”_

_They had said._

_“Distract Dad, we need to help Vanya.”_

_They had told ver._

_Like ve couldn’t also help vis sister._

_“Klaus, really stop being selfish.”_

_They had sneered, heads high._

_Like ve didn’t want to help vis sister._

_Like ve weren’t offering ver-self up as a sacrificial lamb to vis father._

_“Klaus for once in your life be useful.”_

_They had said._

_Like ve couldn’t help vis sister._

_Like ve weren’t offering ver-self up as a sacrificial lamb to vis father._

_Like their words weren’t destroying ver bit by bit._

 

 

               It had been three weeks since they returned to their 13-year-old bodies. Four months before Five was supposed to run away. A year and a half after Klaus had discovered drugs and all of its numbing affect. Nine years after Allison had originally rumored Vanya. Sixteen years before the (Not) Apocalypse.

               They were better- getting better- almost better. Klaus kept telling ver-self. Vanya was brought into family meetings, they did secret training, and siblings’ activities. Ben was alive! Ve tried to tell Ver-self. As ve were ignored and pushed aside again. As ver were looked down on for all the twitching ver couldn’t control. (Both from another withdrawal and the need to move away from the ghosts.)  Vis needs to touch and feel the living taken from ver as the others rally to push Ben and ver apart. Klaus felt ver-self crack, the tape and plaster that came from Ben and Dave’s soft words, the glue and jagged pieces created from the drugs and time, ve were all slowly peeling back and showing how close to shattering ve had always been.

               Klaus smiled, barring their siblings’ words with grace unfitting of vis past. Eyes passing over Vanya’s quiet form and Ben’s back as Allison dragged him away. Klaus smiled and cracked a joke like ve knew was expected and wondered if they should have just left Klaus in the Apocalypse.

               In the early hours of the morning, Klaus’ door opened, showing a familiar figure standing tall and imposing. Reginald was still dressed in a suit, monocle still firmly in place, and face set in a stillness Klaus always considered dead.

               Ve could feel the dread grip vis heart, the frozen fear of what was to come making ver shake. Vaguely ve wished they were back in 1968, the safety and heat of the jungle, of men who would die for ver and that ve in turn would kill for. But all that was in 2002 was unconcerned siblings and the nagging of the dead.

               “Come along now Four,” Their father’s dead eyed stare beckoned, notebook in hand.

               Climbing out of bed ve followed obediently, head down and nausea building in vis chest. Stepping out of vis room silently, shuffling after Reginald back turned to vis siblings’ doors. All their words and looks burning into vis head. Ve tried not to think of everyone’s empty promises of being a family, of listening, and being there for each other as they were led to vis torture. Thoughts burning about if Ben remembered that this is what had broken ver, destroyed Klaus completely. That this event had left ver a shell of cracked and missing pieces begging to be put back together again by any kind hand.

               And as the gate closed and locked behind ver, the sense of dread built and sent the hairs on vis arms rising. The stench of the dead burned and soon the spirits began to rise, shades of humans that had lost themselves to time screaming and shrieking, building in volume until even the sound of vis breathing was drowned out. Ve dropped and began to army crawl to the wall. But as ve crawled vis arm brushed something solid, sending vis heart hammering.

Peering up, trying to see through the legs that looked solid to ver to see what vis had knocked over. Water bottles, seven of them, and a single box of protein bars sat innocently on the concrete floor, a single bottle had been knocked over and rolled away. Shakily ve sucked in as much air as possible and knew ve would be there for days. Bile rose up burning vis throat with acid and ve prayed to the Little Girl God, or to the God Dave had lovingly told ver about. Ve wondered if anything would be left of ver to find.

Curling in on ver-self and bringing vis hands up pushing over vis ears and curling nails into skin. The dead wailed, calling out and waking the dead outside of the mausoleum pulling them in until small room was packed. Shoulder to shoulder, wailing, shirking, and screaming calling to Klaus, for help, revenge, and jealousy over vis pulse. Arms shaking the dead grabbed at each other, themselves, and reaching for Klaus in desperation.

Sobbing Klaus closed vis eyes and wished. Ve wished for God. Vis father to release ver. The dead to leave. More than anything Klaus wished for vis siblings to be there to comfort ver.

 

               “Where’s number Four?” Ben asked Reginald a day later, three hours after breakfast.

               Klaus had missed breakfast more than once, refusing to leave vis bed or been too sick to get up.

               Peering around Ben tried to spot their wayward sibling. But it was only Luther, lightly punching his fortified punching bag. Diego stood close to Luther, twirling one of his knives between his fingers absentmindedly. Allison was sparring with Five, ducking under each other’s lose punches.

               “Sick, Four, has been quarantined to the med bay.”

               Ben stared, meeting Reginald cold stare with his own hard gaze. Trying to remember if Klaus had been pale of coughing in the last few days. Ben usually noticed when Klaus got sick before Klaus ever did. But Klaus had always been sickly, since the first timeline, ve was in and out of the med bay, vis lower temperature and then later drug use killing any immune system long before adulthood.

But Reginald was done answering his questions and instead turned towards the others.

               “Today, One, Three, Five, and Six will be dodging, Number Two last week your throw time was at 2.9 seconds, you will lower it.”

               Nodding they moved at once, taking their positions around Diego as he gathered knives. As Diego got ready to start throwing his knives, Allison stepped closer gentle bumping her shoulder into Ben’s in comfort.

               “Form, Number Three!” Reginald stern voice called out.


	2. Chapter 2

_It had been three days. Vis water had run out in the middle of the second day. But past experience taught ver how to ration the protein bars- only five in the box. Klaus’ stomach still rumbles and growled in hunger, but no cramping hunger pain made ver double over._

            The dead still surrounded ver, Klaus tried to tell ver-self it was okay. Vis ears had begun to bleed midnight of the first day and slowly over the following six hours the screaming and wailing had turned muffled and hard to hear. It sounded to Klaus like the spirits were getting farther and farther away, until…

            Ve blinked up at them, from ve’s spot on the cold concrete, watching the ghost’s mouths wide open in their begging. Everything was painfully silent. With shaking hands, Klaus touched vis ears, pulling back to see the blood that was dripping down vis face and creating a small puddle.

            Klaus cried, sobbing loudly with uneven breaths, not that ve heard any of it.

 

            Ben hadn’t seen Klaus in four days. His siblings had shrugged it off, believing their father’s words of Klaus’ illness. But as more time passed the more Ben had become convinced that he had not see any sign of Klaus being sick- knowing Klaus hadn’t been sick.

            Ben had just started to think of the pros and cons of sneaking into the small bedroom next to the med-bay, when his door cracked open. A small stream of light lit up the room, making Ben blink rapidly before he made out the silhouette of Klaus. Ve was hunched over slightly, eyes down casted, as vis hands played with the hem of the blue pajamas.

            “Klaus,” Ben breathed a sigh of relief, “Where have you been? I was getting really worried.” He chided softly.

            But Klaus stayed at the door, looking more focused on the ground. Vis hands slide off the hem and began to tangle vis fingers together.

            “Klaus?”

            Ben stomach dropped as Klaus shuffled into his bedroom, shutting the door behind ver. Without looking up ve made vis way towards Ben’s bed, curling vis legs up under vis.

            “Klaus?” Ben tried again, reaching out to put his hands-on Klaus’ arms.

            Klaus shy looked up at him, eyes wondering around the room before focusing on Ben.

            “Klaus?”

            Vis face twisted into a grimace as vis hands dropped, one reaching up to pull at an earlobe.

            “Gone.” Ve told Ben, voice chocked as tears prickled against green eyes.

            “What’s gone?”

            Tilting vis head, Klaus reached forward touching Ben’s chin before bring vis hand back to his ear.

            “Gone, can’t hear.”

            Wide eyed, Ben pushed his blankets aside and climbed forward.

            “What happened?”

            But Klaus just stared blankly. Shaking his head Ben climbed out of bed, switching his light on before searching for paper.

            In large letters he wrote his question down, underlining it and putting four question marks.

            Klaus’ puffed vis cheeks out, turning to look at the wall instead of Ben as ve said, “Loud, mausoleum got to loud. Mom said nothing to save.”

            Ben felt his face turn red in anger as their siblings’ words echoing in his head, “ _Klaus gets sick all the time”, “Klaus is fine, Ben relax”,_ as he begged them to help him look for Klaus.

            Closing his eyes, Ben stood stock still, mind a whirlwind of thought. For a moment there was silence, Klaus steadily looking away as Ben tried to calm his racing thoughts. Coming to a decision Ben steadily wrote on the paper, before stepping closer to the bed to get Klaus attention.

            Written neatly was two questions and a sentence right under it.

            _Do you still have all the money you pawned from dad?_

            Klaus pointed and nodded, holding up vis hand to show five before making a fist.

            “We can work with fifty dollars,” Ben mused.

            _Do you remember Chaz address?_ Was next, and really the more important question Ben had.

            When they had realized that the old man that would periodically find Klaus and offer ver a meal was an army buddy, Klaus had nearly cried. The idea that any of the 173rd had remembered Klaus nearly 40 years after ve had disappeared from Vietnam had ver smiling for days. -Not that Klaus had known who the old man was when ve had meet him, both in 1968 and as an 18-year-old. -

            Again, Klaus nodded, looking at him in confusion, had tilting before vis eyes trailed down to the last line.

            _We are leaving._

The following hour and a half happened quickly.

            After convincing Klaus that it was okay to leave the other, they had split up. Klaus to get changed, gather vis pawned money, and pack. Ben instead changed and got out another piece of paper- he wrote to their siblings- long winded and angry words, before standing and leaving it on his bookcase. He packed his own clothes before making his way to the roof.

            Klaus stood, staring at him with a large smile, a pink unicorn bookbag (That Ben really didn’t remember vis having), and shinning eyes. They snuck out.

            Tapping Klaus’ arm to get vis attention, Ben lead them towards Griddy’s and the payphone in front of it. Ben held the paper that Klaus had written the address on, and after a moment of digging all the money Klaus had in vis bag.

            Staring at the wads of cash, he glanced back at vis.

            “This is more then fifty,” Ben muttered as the cab rolled up.

            Shrugging innocently ve slide into the waiting cab, pulling both bags in with vis.

            Ben squinted at vis, not particularly angry but more out of annoyance. Climbing in himself, he leant forward and read out the address.

            It was nearing dawn when they pulled up in front of the house. A small ranch with a big fence in the suburbs, a good few hours outside of the city, a good few hours away from Reginald.

            Ben shouldered his bag before pulling Klaus out after him, throwing the money towards the driver, he stumbled his way up the little walkway. For a moment he stood in front of the white door, Klaus snoring on his shoulder, and hesitated. As Klaus shifted, mumbling in vis sleep, Ben squared his shoulders as much as he could, and knocked on the door.

 

A girl answered the door in jeans and a sweater, tired eyes and holding a cup of coffee.

“Uh, is Chaz here?” Ben’s voice cracked.

The girl blinked slowly, opening the door wide to let him drag Klaus in as she walked away.

“Dad!” she called, shuffling down the hall, “Dad!”

Ben stepped inside, glancing around wearily before making his way into the kitchen, dropping Klaus into a seat before dumping his bag down.

The kitchen was small, or Ben thought so, he wasn’t sure because he had only ever been in Diego’s boiler room apartment thing and the Hargreeve’s mansion.

“Whose looking for me?”

Turning Ben was met with the sight of an older man, gray and wrinkled in plaid sleep pants.

“Chaz? Corporal Chaz Miller?”

Brown eyes brightened, as the elder man took in the sight before him, eyes catching and staying at Klaus slumped form. His eyes moved back to Ben before he came to stand by the table Klaus was slumped on.

“Ben, I assume?” when he got a nod he continued, “Spook told me loads about you… Though Spook looks a little young to remember ‘Nam.”

Shrugging Ben could only offer “Time travels a bitch.”

Barking out a laugh Chaz nodded along like he understood. Leaning over, he pulled the pink bag off of Klaus’ back before lifting vis up.

“Well, come on,” He urged, “We can figure all this stuff out after you sleep. Lord knows Spooks not going to wake up for a while.”

He led Ben down the hallway, “Bathroom’s on the left, right is Millie’s room- my daughter, she got work today so don’t worry about her. This here’s the guest room, master’s right across.”

            Ben moved around him to pull the covers up, as Chaz bent down to put Klaus to bed, only stopping to pull off vis shoes. Ben shucked his own off before joining Klaus, reaching out to pull vis close.

            Chaz nodded, switching he lights out before muttering about phone calls and calling out of work.

            Ben reached up, brushing a curl off vis forehead before relaxing into the bed. They were safe and away from Reginald. For the first time in the weeks they’d been back, he could finally rest.


	3. Chapter 3

               Five climbed out of bed with a yawn and stretch. Rolling his neck and shoulders, Five grabbed his clothes for the day, before changing to meet his siblings downstairs for breakfast. Sharing whispered good morning and smiles Luther, Diego, Allison, and Vanya stood behind their seats. Five glanced back towards the stairs, tilting his head as he tried to remember if he had heard Klaus or Ben rummaging in their rooms or if the bathroom door had been closed.

               Reginald came into the dinner room silently, his eyes swept across the children.

               “Grace!”

               Mom’s heeled clicked as she made her way into the, a smile plaster onto her face as and her hands folded on her skirt.

               “Yes?”

               “Where are Number Four and Six?”

               Bowing her head, Grace pivoted on her heel and marched upstairs. Five glanced between his other siblings, the growing bubble of dread made him tense, the ache of muscles and the need to jump nearly sent him out the door. Something was wrong.

               Mother came back down after a moment, hands clasped behind her back, for a second Five could see the blue code behind her eyes as she told father.

               “It seems Klaus’ fever has gone up, and has spread to Ben.” She reported, “I have quarantine Ben’s room.”

               Five’s eyes darted to his father’s face, the glare of annoyance that flashed behind his eyes before he called the children to sit and eat. His fork scrapped against his plate, as he picked at his eggs and nibbled on his buttered toast.

               His eyes darted around the room, taking in the silence and his siblings shoveling food into their mouths. His skin itched and his brain was beginning to buzz, something was wrong.

              

               “You have a two-hour free period.”

               Five waited for their father to leave the dinning room before jumping upstairs and straight into Ben’s room. Crouching, he peered around the room with a dawning realization- no one was there, their mother had lied- he shot forward, hands sliding over his bed, dropping all of Ben’s blankets and pillows on the ground.

               Turning he glanced at the top of the drawers before pulling all of them open. As his hand slide through the shirts his fingers grazed at a piece of paper. Pulling it free from the drawers he opened the paper and peered at his brother’s hand writing.

 

               _Klaus and I are running away. It’s strange to see it on paper. To know as I write this, everyone is asleep and Klaus is packing our bags. It’s a little silly, I think, to be as old as we are and to be who we are, yet still forced to flee into the night, like children._

_You guys will probably look for us, especially Five, not to sound so cliché but you won’t find us. Not because you lack skill or won’t try but because you simply don’t know us. None of you know us._

_I don’t blame you for that, I don’t not blame you either. Its hard to know someone when their trying to drown out their sorrows and pain behind drugs. It’s also hard to know someone when you dismiss everything they say and decide you know everything about them without asking._

_I’d say you’d given up, but you never tried to begin with. Not once._

_Luther, I watched Klaus sit with you and your drunk ass when you realized Dad ~~was~~_ _is an asshole. I couldn’t do anything as you held our brother by his neck, chocking him before throwing him across the room like discarded trash. All because he couldn’t help you- it was impossible Luther! He was going through withdrawal. Not that you believed or cared about that. I watched as you belittled him, ignored him, and I watched as you left him on the floor to die. Klaus might have forgiven you, but I don’t think the image of you walking away from our downed brother will ever leave my mind._

_Diego, you, you were better than the rest. You came for each phone call, each rehab, and always gave Klaus food. But the bar was already set so low. You never offered him help, not truly, each little detail he gave you was ignored or made to be because of drugs. You’d reach out only to pull back right as Klaus was getting better-right as you were getting better._

_Allison… Jesus Christ Allison, you keep going on and on about being a better sister to Vanya like you were a good sister to any of us! Like it wasn’t you who told dad about Klaus wearing skirts. Like you answered any of the rehab’s calls. Klaus begged you to take him to Cali. He begged you to help him. You rumored him and ignored him, like he was a pest or dog shit on your designer heels instead of your brother._

_Five, ~~he,~~ five he fucking told you, you fucking knew and you did nothing. You saw the blood on the tile. You are the one that confronted him about the briefcase and time traveling and the new tattoos ~~and you fucking didn’t~~ he needed you. He needed you to help him, to be there. And you dismissed him and yelled at him for breaking the briefcase, like he wasn’t hurt and traumatized. You came back to save all of us, that’s what you said- when did Klaus become your sacrifice. ~~When did he become Umbrella Academy’s sacrificial lamb?~~_

_Vanya, dear sweet sister, Vanya, get over yourself. We get it, you felt left out and dad hurt you. Dad hurt all of us, and Klaus had powers and was still left out. Vanya, I love you I swear, but you’ve been acting like ~~we~~ some of us didn’t beg and plead to be powerless. Like Luther didn’t hold weights till his muscles tore, like Diego wasn’t locked into a tank and left for hours, Allison wasn’t forced to rumor until she tore her throat and was coughing up blood, like Klaus wasn’t locked away for days on end, Five wasn’t forced to jump until he was having seizures! Vanya you act like you didn’t know. We have all suffered. It isn’t a competition. Stop acting like you’re the only victim, that we weren’t all ~~abused, abandoned, hurt.~~_

_We said when we came back, we’d be better, do better, finally be a family. I didn’t realize that didn’t include Klaus. We love you. Even with how messed up you are, with all the mistakes, and all of the hurt, we love you. But we can’t stay here. If we stay-_

_B &K_

His chest ached fiercely as guilt gnawed at him. He had messed up. They all had. Clutching the letter close to his chest Five turned on the spot, jumping to Allison’s room. Stumbling out of his jump, like here hadn’t done since he was a toddler, he nearly fell into the bed. Grunting he looked up at his gathered siblings, throwing the letter at Allison, he choked out.

               “They’re gone.”


	4. Chapter 4

          Klaus rubbed vis eyes, stumbling out of the room and into the hall. It was such a strange experience to actually sleep through the night, to wake up to silence, even if ve could still make out the dead meandering around, their forms disappearing out of the corner of vis eye.

          Ve wasn’t to concerned with vis new and unknown location, trusting Ben to get ves somewhere safe-even in his completely tangible and alive form. So, ve opened the doors closest, closing it carelessly when ve saw it wasn’t the bathroom ve was looking for and continued vis way down the hall.

          Ve turned vis head and paused for a second, smiling at the smell of cooking- bacon?- the seemed to engulf the house. Before ve could follow his nose though… ve still needed to find the bathroom.

 

          Ben woke up alone, patting the bed or rather slamming a hand down at the empty spot besides him, he shot up and out of the bed.

          “Klaus?” he called out, glancing around the room worriedly.

          “Klaus?”

          Spotting the slightly ajar door, he slammed it the rest of the way open as he sprinted out of the room. Down the hallway, he ignored the closed door, and ran straight through the living room and into the kitchen.

          Mrs. Miller was smiled, stepping around lightly as she placed fluffy yellow eggs, crispy bacon, and lightly browned toast onto the counter.

          “Good morning.” She greeted.

          Chaz sat at the table across from Klaus, a notebook filled with writing between them abandoned as Klaus was clutching at a photo a large smile on vis face.

          Sighing in relief, Ben moved to take a seat besides his sibling. Peering over vis shoulder at the picture ve was so adoringly holding. It was a picture of an older Klaus, shirtless as ve leaned back, head thrown back as ve laughed with vis whole body. Next to vis was another man, eyes alight as he stared at Klaus’ laughing form, his own smile stretching across his face.

           Before he could reach out and touch Klaus arm, Chaz cleared his throat, standing up with a grunt as he used the table and chair as leverage. He shifted the papers on the table around before begining to pick them up.

          “Klaus updated me on some of the shit,” “Chaz.” His wife scolded, even as he continued nodding towards the notebook, “That’s happened. About the time travel and…” His eyes turned dark and fingers curled into tight fist as he dropped the papers he had been gathering, “Reginald.”

          Ben nodded, glancing back at Mrs. Miller nervously even as she turned her back towards them and loudly began to get forks and plates.

          “I’m not gonna lie, some of the others had wanted to take Klaus the second the academy went public, we could all recognize Spook in seconds and the stories…”

          “In the first timeline you helped.” Ben admitted, “Once ve was seventeen and out of the academy, you and the others. We had actually seen one of the pictures,” he admitted pointing towards the 173rd photo, “I had thought… maybe the guy in the photo was his mom’s brother or something.”

          Chaz barked a laugh.

          “Klaus stayed with you and Brent the most, though you had a different place then.”

          Ben moved, thanking Mrs. Miller softly as he accepted a plate, passing it off to Klaus’ wide-eyed form. Ve glanced at the photo in vis hand and then the plate, face screwed up in heartbreak at the thought of putting the picture down.

          “We- ve can’t hear anymore.” Ben gestured, “And, like you said, you remember what ve was like before, to live through all of it again.”

          Chaz grimaced, “Look, I already called up Matt, works pretty high up in the FBI, he’s working on getting me papers, Klaus Miller doesn’t sound so bad.”

          Mrs. Miller brought her own plate, sitting down at the round table before glancing at her husband, she reached out and laid a gentle hand on top of Ben’s.

          “We,” she admitted, “Were always vaguely prepared for Klaus, but Ben if you don’t want to go back…”

          “Matt can make papers for you too.” Chaz assured, “Get bunkbeds, Maddi,” he said lovingly, “Is already looking up schools that can and will accommodate for the hearing impaired. We can make sure both of you are in the same class.”

          Ben froze. He hadn’t really thought of what he’d do after he got Klaus to Chaz. He hadn’t wanted to leave Klaus, but he had spent so much time with vim and almost none with the others. _But the others had never needed him like Klaus did._ He hadn’t thought Chaz would offer; he was Klaus’ friend not Ben’s…

          “Oh… yeah okay.”

          Klaus hummed, reaching forward to jab at Ben’s side, shooting him a confused look. Mrs. Miller reached over snatching the notebook before flipping to a blank page.

          In neat cursive she wrote.

          _Welcome Home_

Green eyes teared up as ve looked up at her with a blinding smile. Reaching over, she pulled Klaus out of vis seat and into her arms, holding vim close.

The front door opened. “Mom! Dad? Is everything okay?” a voice called out, before hurried steps were heard and the girl from before was standing in the kitchen doorway, a bookbag slung over her back.

“Honey!” Mrs.Miller called out, still clutching at Klaus’ shaking form.

Standing from his seat, Chaz told them to eat and reached over to ruffle Klaus hair before pulling the girl aside and out of the kitchen.


	5. Chapter 5

                Chaz pulled strings. Or rather he called the 173rd that was still left and told them the plan- nearly four years after it was made- had gone into effect. Or as Johnny like to call, Operation kidnap spook. It was Matt who got the birth certificates that announced that Ben was technically his grandson for Vietnam- and wow that caused a stir in the neighborhood, people asking if he had known he fathered a daughter during the war. Klaus became identified as Jimmy’s son, Jimmy who had died five weeks prior from cancer caused by agent orange. Klaus assured them that Jimmy gave his full permission and having lived relatively reclusive no one could argue about Klaus’ status. James had diligently made paper trails, making sure that if anyone looked to closely all they would see is two regular 13 year old’s.

 

                “For now,” Maddie assured Ben, dragging him aside as Matt dragged his two sons over to help make a room for Klaus and Ben, the three men struggling as they put together a bunk bed, “As far as the world knows, both of you just lost your parents and Klaus their hearing. So, you have close to half a year to get settled before you go to school. We’ll work on sign language and outfitting the house, James mentioned making a light system for the bathroom.”

                Johnny snorted as he walked past, lifting a nightstand higher as he passed, “Spook takes forever in the bathroom, only one that got Spook to hurry with anything was Dave.”

                Johnny stopped at the bedroom door, peering into to see bed parts and tools thrown half-hazardly around the room. Bobby, Matt’s oldest was reading the directions out loud as Chris held up the hammer, eyeing his father’s hunched form as he held up two identical pieces of wood. Johnny watched for a few moments before putting the nightstand down by the door before turning and walking back out towards his truck.

Muttering under his breath “Yeah, I’m not dealing with that.”

                “Yes,” Maddie said amusingly to his first statement, “Klaus’s bathroom time is legendary. Why when Lily started taking longer I though Chaz would be annoyed but he just sighed and said no one was as bad as Klaus.”

                Ben shrugged helplessly not sure what to say other then, “Sorry, Ve takes longer then Allison and Diego and Vanya combined, sorry.”

                “Oh, no dear, it’s vis safe place, it’s perfectly fine. But if someone needs something or there is an emergency…” she trailed off worriedly, hands twitching and head tilting with a deep frown as if remembering something unpleasant, “So, James came up with this light switch, we can flicker it from outside the bathroom and he’s already installed lights to the smoke detectors so it’s not just the alarm. Oh, oh!” She paused, eyes widening at the sight before her, patting Ben’s arm she hurriedly ran down the hall shouting, “Jonathon Fredrick don’t you scuff my hardwood floors!”

                Ben floundered, standing in the hall uncertainly. Listening to Matt curse and Bobby’s laugh as he tried to piece together what just happened. Spotting his rather lost look Chaz shifted passed his wife berating Johnny, for dragging the second nightstand.

                “Sorry,” Chaz grunted, meandering his way over, “We all knew Klaus was from the future, to much shit happened and the songs that we all knew years before they came out.” He shrugged, “When the 42 women gave birth, we realized most of the stories were true, superpowers and all.”

                Ben shuffled uncomfortably as he tried to figure out what that had to do with Maddi and what she had said.

                Chaz watched him before sighing and shaking his head when he realized Ben didn’t understand, “Klaus had told us about being taken from the bathroom at home, getting kidnapped and tortured.”

                “Okay?”

                “…and I told Maddi everything I could remember. It’s one thing to see a picture of a grown man and know what he went through another to see you as children.”

                “Chaz married a bleeding heart.” Matt teased as he exited the bedroom, leaving Bobby and Chris working on the bunk bed. Johnny quickly walked over from the front door, apologizing to Maddie before kicked him in the shin, “Like you hadn’t planned a full black ops operation to bust him out of that house.”

                “Yeah Matt, who you callin a bleeding heart, you cried when I said Klaus was at my place.” Chaz jeered.

                Matt’s sons laughed uproariously as they watched their father’s friends tease him.

 

                Laura Miller sighed softly, smiling when Klaus looked at her with big green eyes, she waited for vim to look back down so she could shoot the chick a heated glare. When she agreed to take Klaus shopping, she was vaguely prepared for anything. She had caught vim looking in her closet, touching the soft fabric of her long skirts with an almost longing.

Laura had been surprised when ve had made a beeline to the boys’ section and thrown hoodies and jeans and shirts in- all dark colors, ranging from navies, dark burgundies, and blacks. She was less surprised when after gathering those ve went straight into the girls’ section.

                Ve carefully tugged at her elbow, showing her a soft long ankle length skirt that faded from white to green. She had reached over and grabbed vim a couple more, softer skirts, leggings, and a dress, urging Klaus into the changing room. Laura was having a relatively fun time until Klaus had walked out in a knee length skater black skirt with dark red roses and a looser black tank top tucked in, and an older woman had started sneering. Klaus, laura knew, couldn’t hear the women’s biting words as ve spun around and ran thin fingers over soft fabric.

                Ve had looked at her doe like, large eyes wide and face a mask of meekness before se smiled and gave her thumbs up. Nodding vis head so fast curls bounced, Klaus turned to try on another outfit. Laura turned on her heel the second the door shut.

                “Does there seem to be a problem?” she hissed at the women and her friend, both of who had stopped shopping to cast judging eyes on the pair.

                “You should be ashamed of yourself, having him parade around her like some floozy!”

                “The only thing I’m ashamed of is having the displease of breathing the same air as a disgrace of a person as you. What my sibling wants is no one’s business, least of all yours.” She hissed, straightening her back as she stepped closer and closer to the older women.

                “Excuse me?” A nervous teen asked, uniform showing that she worked at the department store, “Is there a problem?”

                “Yes!” The woman shouted, “This-“

                “These two women are harassing my sibling and I,” Laura spoke quickly, looking at the nervous girl with a smile, “I’m sorry you had to get involved and deal with… these disgraces, but we were minding our own business when they decided that we needed their fashion advice.”

                The girl looked between them, hand going towards her radio button. A hand reached out and tugged at her elbow. Turning Laura cooed, Klaus was standing behind her, in the black dress she had handed vim, eyeing the groups nervously. A shaking hand shot up as ve pulled on his earlobe.

                “Me?” vis voice came out in a whisper.

                “No,” she said slowly, pulling Klaus’s head up so ve looked at her, she shook her head, slowing her words down so ve could try and figure them out, “Not you.”

                Ve nodded, eyes darting between the people before looking back at her.

                “Change?”

                Nodding along ve tapped her purse and looked back at the pile of clothes.

                “Yeah, let’s get out of here.”      

                They got a discount. And a good couple hundred dollars’ worth of clothes. Shoving everything in her car, she eyed the time and wondered if the others were finished getting the room ready. Probably not, she decided after a moment, but the house would already be pretty full with Matt, Bobby, Chris, Johnny, Mom, Dad, and Ben being there, so turning to look at Klaus.

                “So… shoes?”

                Klaus’s face lit up.

                _Yes,_ Laura thought, _I think I’ll like being a big sister._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 10/10 couldn't think of a name for the daughter so now the daughters named after my mom. 
> 
> The hoodies, jeans, ect are FOR BEN.... but if Klaus sometimes steals them... well.... everyone should have seen that coming. 
> 
> also clothes? Stupid expensive, its rude, shouldn't be 30$ for a t-shirt


	6. Chapter 6

School was strange though, Ben thought, it might not be strange but more of their lack of social skills and understanding. Klaus could charm anyone, left, right, and center, anyone that knew them knew that. Hell, that’s why Ben and vim were able to run away. With Klaus newfound popularity, easily flittering between social groups, with smiles and jokes.

In some area’s their education had them nearly college level, that wasn’t even taking into account that they were really 30 years old. The math and sciences the school was teaching, all of it they had learned before Five had disappeared into the future the first timeline. Their history was broader, expanding all civilizations, but only focusing on wars, tactics, and large disasters. They didn’t know the answer of when Columbus sailed to the Americas, or how and why this law was implemented, or anything about the Civil Rights movement. (Which they were rather horrified to find out about? Who was saying their beloved sister shouldn’t have rights?) they had known about slavery, to a certain extent, but never about what it later became- a thing about differences.  _In a house where having a power was the only thing that matters, they had never realized how sheltered they were._

Laura tutored them and a couple of her friends, sitting with them to try and fill the gaps in their education. Which was a weird experience when Klaus reached over and corrected Robert’s college chemistry homework as a thank you.

“Whyyyy?” Robert had whined, “Why do you know this but don’t know that stupid nursery rhythm about Columbus?”

But middle school turned into high school.

Highschool was a strange experience. While being unable to hear and thus communication rather difficult, Klaus has always been a people person. It takes half a month before Klaus is the most known and well-liked kid in school, kind and always up for a laugh, willing to hand out math answer, flood the girls lock room, and then blink innocently up at the teachers. Klaus soon had vis hands in everything, between costume and set design for the Drama club, Track Team getting them in with the athletes, and vis knowledge of the occult for the goths, Klaus flew around the groups like an ever-changing butterfly. Meaning that without Ben lifting a finger he had somehow gotten popular to.

            Ben blames drugs, or rather the lack of drugs, without vis outlet Klaus was willing to do anything to drown at the dead, added on the excess energy it was like vis battery was overcharged putting Klaus at 300% instead of the normal 100%.

            So, for the first time in his very short life and rather long existence, Ben was being asked out or Klaus was being asked out via note via Ben. Or both, sometimes someone asked out Klaus while asking out Ben. Ben would much rather be reading then dealing with this. Klaus smiled each time though, offering a “I’m flattered” in vis chicken scratch but declining. Not because of being mentally 30, though it was a big reason, but because, Klaus wrote smaller and smaller showing the words to Ben with shaking hands.

            The pictures Chaz has of Klaus in the unit are different. Ve had an extra tattoo on stack against vis still pale forearm and more importantly, Klaus looked younger. Which admittedly Ben hadn’t noticed when he first glanced at the photo.

SAVE DAVE, Klaus had written in big capital letters, underlined and explanation pointed.

            And that is how Ben found out that even without the commission, Klaus was going to go back to a war that happened decades ago. They didn’t know how or when or why but Klaus was giddy with the information, making Ben sit and slowly say words to figure out how to read lips, training vis body so his thin frame was semi lethal. It was rather odd, for war that still left Chaz, the others, and Klaus with vivid nightmares, ve was almost ecstatic to be going back.

 

            Its nearly two years later that Johnny comes in with a briefcase.

            “Completely forgot I had it,” he explained, “Happened years and years ago, at the bar in Saigon, you remember that buddy?” he asked, staring at Klaus as he fumbled through signs.

            But Ben and Klaus keep looking back towards the briefcase.

            “About, don’t know half a year after you disappeared some guy comes into the bar.” He drawls, “Matt recognized your bag and well, I didn’t throw the first punch, but I did get a broken rib.” He grinned, all sharp teeth and dark eyes. “Put it in storage when I got back to the states.”

            Ben wasn’t sure if they should let Johnny know that the briefcase wasn’t Klaus’ and they beat up some time assassin for no reason. He was tempted to, especially with the thought of his sibling going to Vietnam became more and more real. Klaus reaches out with trembling hands.

            “No!” he snapped, pushing Klaus’ hand down and moving to block the view of the briefcase.

            “DaaaVVVVVVVVEEEEEE.” Vis voice rose, yelling out the name with a red face.

            “NO!” Ben shouted right back, “WE’RE KIDS, KIDS, NOTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN IF YOU GO NOW!”

            Klaus tilted vis head, letting fat drops of tears roll down vis cheek.

            “But Dave?” vis voice came out small and meek, toeing the ground with kitten faced flats.

            “Wait, okay, do you rally think Dave want’s some fifteen-year-old?”

            They stared, Ben’s dark eyes meeting Klaus’ watering green.

            Huffing he crossed his arms, “Twenty.”

            “No.” Ben shot back.

            “Twenty-one.”

            “No!”

            “Twenty-two?”

            “You and I both know you’re at least twenty-five in that picture.”

            “But Beeeeennnnnn.”

            “Twenty-five.”

            Klaus glare, stamping vis foot down hard into the tile “Asshole!” ve twirled and stormed away.

            “What just happened?” Johnny asked, bending slightly to watch Klaus storm to their shared room.

            “A negotiation.” He snapped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't particularly like this chapter but this is where i was going with it so


End file.
